Manuel de Proverbes Dramatiques, 1840 was edited by Professor Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Its first edition was published in 1830 in Portland, Maine. Longfellow then revised the text before this Troisieme Edition was published in Boston by Monroe et Compagnie in 1840.

Longfellow used this collection in classes he taught at Harvard College where he was a popular professor of Romance Languages. This copy shows the obvious handwritten translations that any college student of 175 years ago would understand.

For everyone interested in antiquarian books, Romance Languages, mid 19th century drama and literature and, of course, the "white" Mr. Longfellow, this 333 page anthology includes the following play dialogues:

Le Poulet

L'Ane dans le Potager

La Diete

L'Importun

L'Enrage

Le Sourd

La Rose Rouge

Le Sot et les Fripons

La Sonnette

Le Sot Ami

La Recommandation

L'Historie

Le Persifleur

Le Comedien Bourgeois

L'Unifome de Campagne

L'Amateur du Tragique

Le Mari

L'Etanger

As the photos show, this curious little antique book is in sad shape. But in the right hands, it is an attractive treasure in a prized collection of Longfellow memorabilia.

Interesting for the Longfellow enthusiast are the numerous handwritten English translations from French of the play texts by some long ago student of Professor Longfellow.

The brown cloth cover, badly worn and stained, is completely detached from the spine; and the pages themselves show the discoloration and wear of almost 175 years of handling. In its favor, the interior binding is intact, with the pages fairly well attached; and the spine, while broken near the middle of the pages, is holding its own. A previous owner's name in written in ink on the flyleaf.

It measures approximately 7 3/8 inches by 4 7/8 inches and, including the cover, about 7/8 inch thick. It has 333 pages.

Although it is not in great condition, this is a rare find and a bibliophile's delight.

Because of it's fragile condition, this book ships via Priority Mail to US addresses.